Following the renewal of relations between Libya and the United States in 2004, the Cyrenaica Archaeological Project (CAP), under the direction of Professor Susan Kane of Oberlin College, was granted permission to resume the work of its predecessors.

[1] The grounds of the Sanctuary to Demeter and Persephone, which include a temple and theater complex, elevate on terraces across the slope of a ravine, specifically the wadi (Arabic: وادي wādī; also: Vadi) bel Gadir, southwest of the walled city.

During the time of this sacred activity at the Sanctuary a voluminous amount of votive material was accumulated in its interior: pottery, lamps, coinage, stone sculpture, jewellery, inscriptions, glass, as well as bronze and terracotta figurines.

During the Sanctuary's four phases, it underwent significant internal change, but still characteristically remained an extramural hillside precinct enclosing a variety independent(?)

Although the identity of the Upper Sanctuary's Classical buildings remains mostly uncertain until as late as the Hellenistic period, evidence for cult activity on this level is good.

More generally, the sacred precinct (Sanctuary) served as a platform and occasion for civic union, expression and for building communicable relations with the peoples of the surrounding area.

[6] Given the contemporary evidence of Greek pottery, the Sanctuary itself appears to succeed the settlement of Cyrene, traditionally dated to circa 630 BCE, by approximately one generation.

The range and number of pottery finds during the first quarter of the sixth century increases substantially, thus indicating that by this time the Sanctuary was already firmly established.

Moreover, one-third of all finds unearthed at the Sanctuary, namely kotylai and black-glazed hydriai (both are known to possess cultic associations with Demeter), serve in some form or fashion as votive objects.